AERATED DRILLING PERFORMANCE IN GEOTHERMAL

FRACTURE RESERVOIR
Ghifari Yoga Pradana
Akamigas Balongan
ghifariyoga@hotmail.com

Abstract
Geothermal energy can produce an optimal energy to be changed into electricity when the reservoir has no
cuttings accumulation in its potential zones. Aerated drilling has been used to penetrate the potential zone of geothermal
wells is important to assess in order to run optimally. Analysis of the performance of aerated drilling by using a pressure
window has been prepared to be used as a reference in practice on field of geothermal wells in overcoming problems
during drilling in order to increase the productivity of the geothermal reservoir. Geothermal wells were dominated
fractures in it tends to affect the ability of the mud in the drilling circulation process. Mud coloumn pressure is reduced
due to the addition of gas phase causes the mud that used technically relevant in underbalanced considered by cleanliness
of the well bore. Determination of pressure window created by providing the right volume ranges between gas and liquid
phases in the mud circulation system, is limited by the ability of cleaning the wellbore and surface support equipment.
Observation was conducted in a simulated drilling aeration in geothermal wells at 2500 meters. Fracture zones are
predicted at depth of 1500 meters in bit traject 12-1/4 and 9-7/8. 800-900 gpm mixture of mud and 1500 scfm of air are
use for base calculation. The density and viscosity of aerated fuid is equal with pressure and instead make drilling mud
has more power to lift the cutting. Value annular velocity that exceeds the minimum limit (36 mpm), CCI of below 1%
and the transport velocity showed 83-93% removal of cutting optimal capabilities. This results will use for presssure
window analysis. Hence aerated drilling is considered to have a good performance in drilling of geothermal fracture
reservoir which is the potential zone. This paper concludes with aerated performance on each depth and verified that
aerataed drilling methods are easier, faster and cheaper.

Keyword : Geothermal, Aerated Drilling, Fractures, Pressure Window.